EirGrid has completed the uprate of the Derryiron 110 kV Station Busbar in County Offaly, marking a significant improvement to the electricity system in the Midlands.

The works were carried out in collaboration with ESB Networks and ESB Engineering and Major Projects.

They included decommissioning the existing 110 kV busbar, extending the control room, upgrading protection relays, installing temporary network bypasses, and commissioning a new 110 kV busbar and sectionaliser circuit breaker.

EirGrid says the uprate will facilitate a number of planned customer connection projects, allowing more than 264 MW of renewable energy to connect to the national grid. The upgrade also provides additional capacity for future renewable energy connections, supporting Ireland’s renewable energy targets.

Last week, EirGrid said Ireland is facing a much lower risk of electricity blackouts this winter.

The Winter Outlook for 2025/2026 shows a marked improvement in the country’s generation adequacy compared to last year, with the national electricity system expected to operate well within the risk limits set by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.

The key risk metric used by EirGrid, known as the Loss of Load Expectation (LOLE), is forecast at just 1.1 hours for the five-month winter period. That figure is significantly below the three-hour annual standard and represents a sharp drop from last winter’s LOLE of 3.6 hours. Two years ago, the figure stood at 21 hours, and the winter before that, it reached 51 hours.